Purdue President Mitch Daniels says tuition freeze will go through 2020-21. Bonus will go to staff making $75K or less.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will keep tuition as is through the 2020-21 academic year, marking a run of eight consecutive years with a freeze, starting with the 2013-14 school year, Purdue President Mitch Daniels said Monday.

Daniels also said Purdue will give a one-time, $500 “appreciation payment” to all West Lafayette campus staff who make $75,000 or less. That would include 83 percent of all non-faculty Purdue staff members, provided they were employed as of Dec. 31, 2018.

Purdue also plans to offer a 2.5 percent merit raise pool for faculty and staff for the fiscal year set to start on July 1, 2019. Daniels said that would be the fifth consecutive year for a merit increase on the West Lafayette campus.

“Our staff members’ suggestions, flexibility and productivity have helped make our affordability policies possible,” Daniels said in a statement release Monday afternoon. “We think it’s time for a modest gesture of appreciation for all they do.”

Daniels has made a tuition freeze a hallmark of his affordability push since arriving at Purdue in January 2013. Purdue has not increased its base tuition price, just shy of $10,000 for undergraduates from Indiana, since ahead of the 2012-13 school year.

From 2004-05 through 2012-13, the percentage increases for tuition for in-state students on the West Lafayette campus were: 4.0, 6.0, 9.9, 4.5, 4.5, 11.5, 5.0, 4.5 and 4.5.

“As long as we are balancing our operating budget, growing our faculty, investing in necessary capital projects, and increasing compensation competitively, we see no good reason to charge our students more,” Daniels said. “Our commitment to affordability has helped save families millions of dollars and, coupled with prioritizing our investments, we continue to believe that Purdue is delivering higher education at the highest proven value.”

Reach Dave Bangert at 765-420-5258 or at dbangert@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @davebangert.